4 days of Halloween in New York

by Jessica Festa on

Wondering when and where to go this Halloween to get the most out of your costume? In New York, there are events for every night you want to go out.

Friday, October 28, 2011, 9PM-3AM
Nightmare Between 17th and 18th Streets
Union Bar, 204 Park Ave. S., between 17th and 18th

After years of successful event planning, David Shapiro, who owns the leading social networking company in New York City, hosts his annual Halloween bash again this year. Union bar will be closed to the public as 300 plus party-goers come together for a night of scary fun. Guests are encouraged to get as creative as they can with their costumes, as the best will win prizes. The event is co-sponsored with Party With Shari and will include a DJ, Dancing, and 2-for1 drinks from 9PM-11PM.

Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Click here to purchase.Saturday, October 29, 2011, 12PM-9PM
NYC’s Official Halloween Bar Crawl
Begins at McFadden’s Saloon, 800 Second Ave. at 42nd St.

Get ready for some hardcore day drinking. Hop from bar to bar in full costume and dance like crazy in front of those sober folks who’ve decided to wait until the sun goes down to begin getting inebriated. Tickets include a wristband, cup, and drink specials at each bar.

Tickets are $10. Click here to purchase.

Sunday, October 30, 2011, 10:30PM-4AM
5th Annual Halloween Masquerade Midnight Cruise
Ship leaves from Pier 10, Emmons Ave. at E. 21st

Rest up during the day, because on Sunday night you better be ready to dance all night aboard the Amberjack V Yacht. On the fully-heated charter boat guests will party to music by MGM Squad, Supa Don, Mr. Goggles, and Supa Sound while pigging out on a complimentary buffet. Just make sure you don’t eat so much that your costume doesn’t fit. Dressing up is mandatory, and prizes will be awarded to the best get-ups.

Tickets are $40. Click here to purchase.

Monday, October 31, 2011, 9PM-4AM
NYC’s Official 10th Annual Halloween Masquerade Ball
Capitale, 130 Bowery, at Bowery and Grand

After the Village parade, head over to Capitale for their annual masquerade bash to continue the festivities. Arrive by 9PM to enjoy a full hour of free vodka. Costume prizes, giveaways, and a variety of music from hip hop to rock to dance to 80’s will be blasting all night long. This event is so huge there have even been celebrity attendees in the past years, including Heidi Klum, Jay Z., Sean Diddy Combs, and Nicki Hilton, to name a few.

General admission is $15, but there are a ton of high end package choices if you want. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

ProjectExplorer’s Thailand Launch Party raises $8,500 for global education

by Jessica Festa on

ProjectExplorer held their Thailand Launch Party on October 17, 2011, at the Tribeca Grand Hotel in New York. The event featured an auction, cocktail hour and after party, hors d’oeuvres, and the premier of the company’s new Thailand video series, “Sawasdee, Thailand!”.

The Thailand series has 50 videos total which are all free for students, as the mission of the organization is to “foster the next generation of global citizens by encouraging awareness of the world beyond a student’s own community through the creation and distribution of engaging and free multimedia educational materials”.

Andrew McCarthy, actor, director, and travel writer, spoke at the VIP screening of the event, which was followed by mingling, drinking, and eating. Tote bags filled with magazines (which included many destination travel articles) and a baked good were given to attendees.

With 200 in attendance at the event, ProjectExplorer was able to raise $8,500 toward their next educational series.

Check out the launch video for yourself:


Introduction to ProjectExplorer.org’s Sawasdee, Thailand! series from Jenny M. Buccos on Vimeo.

Affinia Hotels launches Tender Loving Comfort movement

by Jessica Festa on

This week, Affinia Hotels launched their new Tender Loving Comfort movement in New York, Washington D.C., and Chicago. The program is based on deep-customer service as well as the body language of guests. In fact, earlier this year the company partnered with body language expert Patti Wood to train hotel staff to know how to respond to body language cues.

Tender Loving Comfort staff and hotel managers will be interacting with guests during their new Comfort Hour, where guests will get the opportunity to sample snacks, test out new items like tech gear and pillows, and give feedback on what makes them most comfortable when staying at a hotel.

Some interesting findings of the studies so far include:

  • For 68.5% of travelers, little extras at check-in make a big impact
  • 75% of travelers have lied to get a better room or free amenity
  • 43% of travelers say that a warm and friendly hotel staff that anticipates everyday needs is important

Click here to learn more about the Tender Loving Comfort program or to book a hotel room with Affinia.

Medieval Islamic manuscripts on display at the Morgan, NYC

by Sean McLachlan on


The Middle Ages produced some amazing works of art. Some of the best are the illuminated manuscripts from the Islamic world.

The above image, courtesy Graham S. Haber and the Morgan Library & Museum shows a woman relaxing after her bath. It was painted in Herat, Afghanistan. In many parts of the medieval Islamic world it was forbidden to create images of living things, but in other regions it was common.

The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City has an extensive collection of these works of art and now they’re on display in an exhibition called Treasures of Islamic Manuscript Painting from the Morgan. The earliest manuscript in the exhibition is a late-thirteenth century treatise on animals and their uses considered by some experts as one of the most important medieval Islamic manuscripts. There’s also a biography of the poet Rumi, several richly decorated Korans, and illustrations from the story of Majnun and Laila, the Islamic Romeo and Juliet.

There’s even a treatise on demonology, but sadly not a copy of the Necronomicon.

Treasures of Islamic Manuscript Painting from the Morgan runs from 21 October 2011 to 29 January 2012.

Host and experience budget-friendly local tours all over the United States

by Jessica Festa on

HipHost, a new “peer-to-peer marketplace for socially-hosted local tours“, not only gives travelers a way to experience new cities from a local’s point of view, but also gives people an opportunity to make extra cash.

Anyone who wants to share their local knowledge can be a HipHost and design a tour based on anything they find interesting. Some tour topics include art, culture, fitness, architecture, history, hiking, markets, music, and more. It’s free to sign-up and guests pay for tours in advance, so hosts don’t have to worry about losing money to no-shows.

Moreover, anyone interested in learning about a topic can search for affordable tours and see a region from a local perspective without paying big tour company prices. Afraid you won’t enjoy your tour? HipHost guarantees a full refund if customers are not satisfied.

Some of the many tours being featured right now include:

And many, many more. Click here to sign-up for and/or host a tour.